Polytechnic University at the II Russian-Kyrgyz Educational Forum: new Horizons for Joint Development

On September 23, Bishkek hosted the opening of the II Russian-Kyrgyz Educational Forum, which focused on the contribution of Russian and Kyrgyz universities to the development of the economy and society of the two countries, practical cooperation with industrial partners, primarily through Russian-Kyrgyz consortia of technical, medical and agricultural universities.

The forum was organized by Rossotrudnichestvo and the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic, with the support of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Edil Baisalov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kyrgyz Republic Sergey Vakunov, Minister of Science, Higher Education and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic Baktiyar Orozov, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Pavel Shevtsov.

Today’s meeting is an important step towards forming a common educational, scientific and technical space. Modern challenges, the transformation of the economy, the development of new industry, medicine, the agricultural sector and geotechnology make our cooperation strategically necessary, Baktiyar Orozov, Minister of Science, Higher Education and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic, said in his welcoming speech.

The delegation of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, headed by Rector, Academician of the RAS Andrei Rudskoi, took a key part in the forum. The delegation included Ludmila Pankova, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Dmitry Tikhonov, Vice-Rector for Additional and Pre-University Education, Dmitry Arseniev, Vice-Rector for International Affairs.

The forum’s work at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University was focused on developing specific mechanisms for integrating education and the economy.

Andrei Rudskoi, Rector of Polytechnic University, took part in the central panel discussion «Economic Needs and University Opportunities: how universities and industrial partners can work together», where he presented the concept of transformation of engineering education, which the university implements jointly with leading industrial corporations.

Special emphasis was placed on the successful experience of strategic partnership with the KRSU. A common digital educational space has already been created, network programs have been launched and applied projects are being worked out with such industrial partners of Kyrgyzstan as Alliance Altyn (mining industry) and Geoscan (unmanned systems).

Artem Novikov, Chairman of the Board of the Russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, Nurlan Omurov, Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic, Irina Yashina, Head of the Training and Research Center under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic, Konstantin Chuprin, Deputy General Director for Production at Alliance Altyn, and Acting Deputy General Director of the Kyrgyz Republic. Arzymat Aldayarov, Director of Economics and Finance at Gazprom Kyrgyzstan.

Immediately after the discussion, the rector signed several agreements with partners. Under an agreement with the B. N. Yeltsin Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, an engineering track will be created under the supervision of the Polytechnic University on the basis of the International Institute of Additional Education of KRSU. The main task is the joint development of modern additional vocational education programs for the market.

In addition, an agreement was signed with KRSU, Irbis-Kurulush and the NOTECH Association on joint projects in the field of digital modeling in construction. A student design bureau will be opened on the basis of KRSU.

Three agreements were signed with Salymbekov University to launch joint international programs for two bachelor’s degrees in the fields of Digital Enterprise Economics, International Logistics and International Business.

Subsequently, Andrei Rudskoi and Dmitry Arseniev visited Salymbekov University to discuss the joint programs being launched.

Also at the forum, the rector of the Polytechnic Andrei Rudskoi gave two detailed interviews to Sputnik Kyrgyzstan, in which he spoke about cooperation with Kyrgyzstan and KRSU and about his impressions of the forum.

Ludmila Pankova, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at SPbPU, moderated the round table «Training personnel in demand by the modern labor market,» where the mechanisms for adapting educational programs to the rapidly changing demands of the economies of the two countries were discussed in detail.

The panelists expressed interest in continuing the dialogue on other platforms and adopting each other’s best practices.

Dmitry Tikhonov, Vice-Rector for Additional and Pre-University Education, took part in the round table «Business as a qualified customer: the experience of Russia and Kyrgyzstan», presenting the SPbPU model for working with corporate customers.

Russian Russian Language and Participation in Online Educational Programs as Tools for Successful Study and Career, Vice Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arseniev spoke at the round table, emphasizing the role of the Russian language as a bridge for academic and professional mobility.

An exhibition of higher education from Russian universities was also held at the KRSU site as part of the forum. 40 universities took part in it. Polytechnic University presented its bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate programs for applicants from Kyrgyzstan.

Viktor Barskov and Marina Petrochenko performed at the I. Razzakov Kyrgyz State Technical University. The session was moderated by Rector of KSTU Mirlan Chynybayev and Vice-rector of the National Research University «MEI» Alexander Tarasov.

The Russian-Kyrgyz Consortium of Technical Universities makes a significant contribution to the development of scientific and educational ties between the Russian Federation and Kyrgyzstan, promotes the sustainable development of industry and the economy of the two countries, said Mirlan Chynybayev, Rector of the I. Razzakov KSTU.

During the visit to KSTU, a program of cooperation in the fields of energy, construction and digital twins was outlined. Our universities have agreed to hold joint summer schools and internships for students, and to develop academic mobility. It is also planned to establish joint publication activity in indexed journals and cooperation on international ratings. Andrey Rudskoy invited the rector of KSTU and the faculty to visit the Polytechnic University.

Today’s forum is a special event. It is a logical continuation of the first Forum of Rectors of universities in Russia and Kyrgyzstan, which was held back in 2019. At that time, direct links were established between the universities of our countries, cooperation programs were defined, issues of academic mobility were discussed, and the foundation for close cooperation was laid. Today, global competition is intensifying — economic, political, and technological. And universities should not stand aside, but help the economies of our countries develop and ensure the well—being of citizens, said Sergey Vakunov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kyrgyz Republic.

The 2nd Russian-Kyrgyz Educational Forum confirmed the status of SPbPU as a strategic partner for the leading universities of Kyrgyzstan. The signed agreements are purely practical in nature and are aimed at creating specific infrastructures, such as a Student Design Bureau, an engineering training track, and joint degree programs. The active participation of a wide range of SPbPU vice-rectors in expert sessions demonstrated the university’s comprehensive approach to the development of international cooperation and the implementation of a course towards deep integration of education, science and industry.